From Monday to Wednesday the European parliamentary week takes place in the EP. National deputies and MEPs will discuss economic, budgetary and social matters. During this event plenary sessions relevant to the European Semester Cycles 2013-2014 will take place.
EP President Martin Schulz and the group leaders meet Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan on Tuesday afternoon to discuss accession negotiations, the independence of the Turkish judiciary and the country's position on Syria and Iraq.
From Monday to Thursday Greek ministers explain their priorities for their country's Council presidency until June to the EP's committees.
On Thursday the internal market committee votes on new rules to make the e-call system mandatory in new cars from 2015. E-calls are automatic emergency calls from cars that crash.
The culture committee votes this Tuesday on new legislation on repatriating illegally exported cultural treasures. This includes more precise rules on compensation for the owner and on the procedures for their return.
In light of the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, the human rights situation in Russia is discussed by the human rights committee on Wednesday. Representatives of Human Rights Watch, Memorial and the LGBTI organisation Quarteera will take part in the debate.
The international trade committee votes Tuesday on proposals to boost anti-dumping measures. The new measures should speed up action when imported goods are sold below cost on the EU market.
The foreign affairs committee will vote on progress reports of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) on Tuesday.
The environment committee votes on a regulation to ban shipments of waste in the EU on Wednesday. In 2009 400 cases of illegal waste shipments were reported to the European Commission.
To tie in with the upcoming European elections, ReAct events are being held in several major cities to stimulate discussions about the future of Europe. After Frankfurt and Paris, the next ReAct event will take place in Rome on Thursday, which will be dedicated to the quality of life within the EU.
REF. : 20140120STO33102
